Information Security Oversight Office Releases its Annual Report to the President

Washington, DC…The Information Security Oversight Office (ISOO) has released its Report to the President for Fiscal Year (FY) 2013. The 2013 report combines what had, in prior years, been reported separately: information on government-wide security classification activities among departments and agencies; the agencies’ cost estimates associated with those activities, and an update on the Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) program. The combined report is online at [www.archives.gov/isoo/reports]

ISOO noted several positive developments in the 2013 report:

The number of persons granted original classification authority continues to decrease and is at its lowest recorded level, standing at 2,269.

Agencies reported a 20 percent reduction in original classification activity.

ISOO conducted on-site reviews of five agency declassification programs with all agencies receiving a passing score.

Total estimated costs for security classification includes the Intelligence Community costs for the first time.

Agencies reviewed 1,122,502 pages under MDR, and declassified 943,035 pages in their entirety, declassified 150,857 pages in part, and retained classification of 28,610 pages in their entirety.

The Information Security Oversight Office (ISOO), established in 1978, is responsible to the President for overseeing the Government-wide security classification program, and receives policy and program guidance from the National Security Council. ISOO has been part of the National Archives and Records Administration since 1995. ISOO consists of three parts:

The Classification Management Staff develops security classification policies for classifying, declassifying and safeguarding national security information generated in Government and industry.

The Industry and Operations Staff evaluates the effectiveness of the security classification programs established by Government and industry to protect information vital to our national security interests.

The National Archives and Records Administration is an independent Federal agency that preserves and shares with the public records that trace the story of our nation, government, and the American people. From the Declaration of Independence to accounts of ordinary Americans, the holdings of the National Archives directly touch the lives of millions of people. The National Archives is a public trust upon which our democracy depends, ensuring access to essential evidence that protects the rights of American citizens, documents the actions of the government, and reveals the evolving national experience. The National Archives carries out its mission through a nationwide network of archives, records centers, and Presidential Libraries, and on the Internet at http://www.archives.gov